§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number of families, other than pensioner families, who are in receipt of supplementary benefit in England and Wales.
§ Mr. NewtonFollowing is the information at December 1980, the latest available date:
thousands Married couples without children 90 Married couples with children 215 One-parent families 298 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry 1980.
§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will withdraw letters to supplementary benefit recipients which ask them why they do not have employment.
§ Mr. NewtonI assume that the letters to which the hon. Member refers are those sent by unemployment review officers to people who have been unemployed for several months, inviting them to attend for interview. The purpose of such interviews is to find out whether people have any special problems and if so whether anything can be done to help them. I do not, therefore, intend to withdraw these letters.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he estimates that his Department will make supplementary benefit savings as a result of the proposed alteration in the Inland Revenue's method of allowing tax relief on mortgage interest.
§ Mr. NewtonThe supplementary benefit requirements of an owner occupier include an amount for mortgage interest. To the extent that this is reduced there will be a saving in supplementary benefit expenditure.
Value of Prescription Charge Prescription charge Year Nominal value Value in 1980 prices (pence) Nil 1947–51 — — 1 June 1952.5p per form 1952 2.92 19.58 1953 5.00 32.53 1954 5.00 31.94 1955 5.00 30.56 1 December 1956 5p per item 1956 5.00 29.12 1957 5.00 28.08 1958 5.00 27.27 1959 5.00 27.11 1960 5.00 26.84 1 March 1961 10p per item 1961 9.16 47.53 1962 10.00 49.80 1963 10.00 48.81 1964 10.00 47.26 1 February 1965 Charges abolished 1965 0.83 3.74 1966–67 No charges Charges re-introduced 10 June 1968.12.5p per item 1968 6.95 28.12 1969 12.50 47.96 1970 12.50 45.09